Acoustical device



Patented July 2,5, 19.39

STATES 4rn'rnr "orrilce 'This invention relatesjto acoustical devicesadapted to aid the deaf.

Of the various acoustical devices available commercially to the deaf,the most eflicient and most popular at the present time are electricaldevices in which sound vibrations are picked up by a microphoneand aretransmitted electrically to a vibrator unit which is placed in contactwith the bony structure of the head, usually just behind the ear. Suchvibrator units may be of any `well known type such as electromagnetic'or piezoelectric devices. In order to hold the vibrator unit inproperposition, various types of clamps and brackets have been devised,all of which are objectionable because they are dimculttoconceal, andmake the user conspicuous. l

It has also been known that sound vibrations can be conducted throughthe teeth, and devices employingsuch electrical vibrator units have beenbuilt for this purpose, but While the results obtained from suchdevicesare more satisfactory with respect to clarity and distinctness ofsoundreception, the devices proposed have been so extremelyconspicuousthat deaf persons have generally avoided them.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a smokers articlesuch as a pipe or cigarette holder which is customarily held by theteeth, having mounted thereon, in such manner as to be concealed eitherby the article itself, o r by the hand of the user, a vibrator unitadapted to transmit vibrations to the teeth.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

A preferred embodiment of the invention selected for purposes ofillustration is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which,

'Figure 1 is an enlarged side elevation, partly broken away, of a'vibrator unit having al conductor rod connected thereto extendingparallel tothe armature.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a vibrator unit having aconductor rod connected thereto extending perpendicular to the armature.

Figures 3 ,and 4 are side elevation and plan views respectvelyof acigarette holder having mounted thereon a vibrator unit of the typeillustrated 'in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a-pipe having mounted thereon a vibratorof the type illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a sectional view vibrator unit mounted in the bowl thereof,and

Figure '7 is a side elevation of a cigarette holder having avibratormounted thereon,

of a pipehaving a (as by clamp,

tomary with smokers, i. e.,

In the device illustrated in f'shorten the conducting rod of the stem ofthe pipe, but

Referring to the drawing, a conventional type of electro-magneticvibrator unit is illustrated in Figures i andf2 having `a coil i, an'armature' 2 and a casing 3 surrounding and enclosing the same. InFigure 1, a conducting rod 4 is con- 5 nected to the armature andextends parallel thereto. In this form, the conducting rod preferablyterminates 'in an upturned portion 5 having a knob 6 thereon for contactwith the teeth. In Figure 2 the conducting rod 1' is connected 10 to thearmature and extends perpendicular thereto. Said rod also terminates ina knob 8 for contact with the teeth.

Either of the vibrator units shown in Figures 1 and 2 or otherconventional vibrator units simi l5 larly equipped with conductor rodsmay be ernployed in connection with smokers articles such as pipes orcigarette' holders in the manner here# inafter described.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4 `for example, a 2o vibrator .unitlofthetype illustrated in Figure 2 Y is shown as applied to a cigaretteholder. The casing of the vibrator unit may be secured to the stem ofthe holder'in any suitable manner cement or screws, for example) 25 andthe stem is drilled to provide a passage for the conducting rod, whichextends therethrough to emerge from the vstem at a point such that theknob, or theend of the rod if no knobis provided, terminates at a pointclosely adjacent 30' the position where said stem is normally gripped bythe teeth.A It will be noted that the passage for the conducting rod isoiset from the smoke passage 9 and does not communicate therewith sothat the use of the device does not interfere ing purposes.

' The vibrator unit is'not concealed by the holder, of course, but whenmounted on theunder side of the holder as shown 'in Figure 3, may b'eentirely concealed within the'palm ofv the hand when the holder isgrasped in the manner cuswith the stem,ex tending between the forefingerand the second ringer of the hand. If thenthe wires connected to thevibrator unit are led through the sleeve of the user, the'device can beused without de-` tection.

Figure 5 a vibrator unitXof thetype illustrated in Figure 1 is shown asapplied to a pipe.A In this case in order to as fmuch as possible, thevibrator unit is mounted on the underside it will be understood that itmay be mounted in `other positions, if de sired. In this case, asbefore, the conducting rod is offset from the smoke passage in order notto interfere with using the pipe for smoking.

In the device illustrated in Figure 6, intended for non-smokers, thevibrator unit may be mounted within the bowl ci the pipe in order to beentirely concealed thereby. ordinary smoke passage may be used in partas a passage for the conducting rod, and the stem may be drilled for ashort distance in order' to permit the rod to emerge at the proper pointfor contact with' the teeth. If desired, the vibrator unit in this formof the invention may be surrounded by a sleeve i@ of rubber or othersuitable material in order to hold the unit in place, and

in order to prevent the vibrations from beingtransmitted to the pipeitself.

inv each of the devices previously described, ex-a cept that shown inFigure 6, it will be understood that the primary conduction of soundvibrations is through the conductor rod, but due to the fact that thevibrator unit is rigidly conneced to the pipe or holder, there is also asecondary conduction directly from the vibrator unit lto the stemitself. In some cases, as illustrated in Figure 7, this secondary ordirect conduction is suiicient, without the provision of a conductingrod, to give good results. I

`It will be understood that the invention may be variously modified andembodied within the scope of the subjoined claims.

claim as my invention: f/ 1. .A smokers article having a stem adapted tobe gripped by the teeth, an Kacoustical vibrator unit mounted on saidarticle, and a conducting rod operatively connected to said vibrator.unit in this case thev arene?? and extending through said stern, saidrod emerging therefrom to terminate outside of said stem at a pointclosely adjacent the position where said stem is normally gripped by theteeth.

2. A smokers article having a stem adapted to be gripped by the teeth,said stem having a smoke passage therethrough, an acoustical vibratorunit mounted on said article, and a conducting rod operatively connectedto said vibrator unit and extending through said stem, said rod beingoiset from said smoke passage and emerging from said stem to terminateoutside of said stem at a point closely adjacent the position where saidstem is normally gripped by the teeth in order that said rod may contactthe teeth when the stem is so gripped.

3. A pipe having a bowl and a stem adapted to be gripped by the teeth,an acoustical vibrator unit mounted in said bowl, and a conducting rodoperatively connected to said vibrator unit and extending from said bowlthrough said stem, said rod emerging therefrom to terminate outside ofsaid stem at a point closely adjacent the position where said stem isnormally .gripped by the teeth.

d. A pipe having a bowl and a stem adapted to be gripped by the teeth,an acoustical vibrator unit mounted in said bowl, a sleeve of rubbersurrounding said unit and spacing the same from said bowl, and aconducting rod operatively connected to said vibrator unit and extendingfrom said bowl through said stem, said rod emerging therefrom toterminate outside of said stem at a point closely adjacent the positionwhere said stem is normally gripped by the teeth.

EDMUND H. SCHWENCKE.

